The vocabulary section and context of most grammar questions on the first test require you to be familiar with the first seven episodes of Destinos.
I will give you the answer to a question. Some of the information in the answer will be underlined. You will have to formulate a question which asks for the underlined information. For example: Josefina escribe sus composiciones con un bolígrafo. The question you should write is: ¿Con qué escribe Josefina sus composiciones? There are three things I am looking for. First, you must use the correct question word with the accent mark on the correct vowel. Second, if there is a preposition, it should be placed before the question word. And third, the subject will follow the verb (immediately after or at the end of the phrase). Grammar lesson 20 in www.studyspanish.com covers all three of these points.
I will give you a paragraph of narration in the present tense. You will change the verbs from the present tense to the preterit so that the story is told as past tense. You learned sets of endings for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the present tense in a previous Spanish class. Now you must learn the preterit endings. There are only two charts for the regular verbs.
| -ar verb endings for preterite | |
| -é | -amos |
| -aste | -asteis |
| -ó | -aron |
| -er and -ir endings for preterit | |
| -í | -imos |
| -iste | -isteis |
| -ió | -ieron |
So, how would we change the following sentences from present to past?
Present: Ella habla con su amiga. Yo como en la cafetería.
Past: Ella habló con su amiga. Yo comí en la cafetería.
The verbs that were stem-changing verbs in the present tense don't usually have stem changes in the preterit. There are some exceptions to this rule, mainly radical -ir verbs. The change is not necessarily the same change as in the present tense. Dormir (ue, u) has the ue change in the boot in the present tense. In the preterit it has a u change in the third person only (singular and plural), the sole of the boot.
| Dormir (ue, u) in present tense | |
| duermo | dormimos |
| duermes | dormís |
| duerme | duermen |
| Dormir (ue, u) in preterit tense | |
| dormí | dormimos |
| dormiste | dormisteis |
| durmió | durmieron |
Further down you will find instructions for dealing with really irregular verbs in the preterit. Unit 6 of www.studyspanish.com deals with the past tense. Look at the lessons titled Prterite Part 1, Preterite Part 2, and Preterite Part 3 for now. (We will get to the Imperfect soon enough!)
We use the verb ESTAR with the gerundio (present participle) to narrate in the present progressive tense. This is how we emphasize that the action is in progress. This is how we tell what is happening as we speak. Use the form of ESTAR that corresponds to the subject of the verb. Here's a chart to review the present tense forms of ESTAR:
| Estar: to be | |
| estoy | estamos |
| estás | estáis |
| está | están |
To form the gerundio of an -ar verb, drop the -ar and add -ando. To form the gerundio of an -er or -ir verb, drop the -er or -ir and add -iendo (or-yendo, if adding -iendo would give you three vowels in a row). Note that poder and -ir verbs that were radical/stem-changing in the present tense have a stem-change in the gerundio. (It may not be the same kind of change though. It will change as it does in the third person of the preterit.)
On the test I will give you a statement in the present tense. You will change it to the present progressive tense.
Present: Ramón llama a Carlos. Pedro bebe café. La lluvia cae. Los chicos piden pizza.
Present progressive: Ramón está llamando a Carlos. Pedro está bebiendo café. La lluvia está cayendo. Los chicos están pidiendo pizza.
| Irregular preterit verb | infinitive | subject(s) | translation |
| hicimos | hacer | nosotros/as | We did/made. |
| pude | poder | yo | I could/managed to. |
| supieron | saber | ellos/as, ustedes | They/y'all knew/found out. |
| hubo | haber | it | There was... (weather, etc.) |
| anduviste | andar | tú | You walked/rode/wandered about. |
| estuvo | estar | él/ella/ud./it | (S)he/you/it was... |
| tuvisteis | tener | vosotros/as | Y'all had/got. |
| quise | querer | yo | I wanted/loved/tried. |
| pusieron | poner | ellos/as, ustedes | They/y'all put. |
| dijiste | decir | tú | You said. |
| vino | venir | él/ella/usted | (S)he/you came. |
| fue | ir | él/ella/usted | (S)he/you went. |
| fue | ser | él/ella/usted | (S)he/you was/were. |
| diste | dar | tú | You gave. |
| cupieron | caber | ellos/as, ustedes | They/y'all fit. |
Incorporating Comparisons into Simple Present Tense Descriptions
I will ask you to compare two cities in Spain: Sevilla and Madrid. I will be looking for the "más que", "menos que" and "tan(to) como" structures as well as noun/adjective agreement, correct use of verbs, etc. in your descriptions. (See studyspanish.com grammar lessons 37 and 38.)
Deciding When to Use SER and When to Use ESTAR
"How you feel and where you are determines when to use ESTAR." ESTAR: PLACE (Position, Location--except for events and activities, Action in progress, Condition or state, Emotion). SER has many more uses than ESTAR. Some uses of SER include: identification, family relationships, time, dates, religious or political affiliations, profession, nationality, origin, personality, physical traits. (See studyspanish.com grammar lessons 15-18.)
Deciding When to Use POR and When to Use PARA
Deciding When the PERSONAL A is Needed